Means for making hamburgers



Feb. 5, 1952 A. H. BELT MEANS FOR MAKING HAMBURGERS Filed Oct. 15, 1948 Z INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 mm 'TSTATES QFF'ICE "MEANS FOR MAKING Augustus H. Belt, Bloomington, Ill.

- Application 0ctober 15, 1-948, Serial No. 54,806

-'1 Claim. (Cl. 99-349) This invention relates to the art of cooking-- ground meatin the form of patties for making What is. commonly known ashamburgers.

t Heretofore acommonmethod ofmaking ham burgers wastopre-form theground meat to a fiat shape by hand molding or by the use of a H suitable-flat implement, place the meat patty on M marheating surface for cooking, and turn the meat patty with aspatula-or the like "This method requires .a. maximum of hand labor and time.

Also, the meat is subject to considerable shrink age, loss. of meat juices, andloss of meat flavor.

ZIhisisobjectionable from acommercial view point particularly when the meat pattyis to be sold. as .a hamburger for immediate consumption.

1. Under such vmethodthe meat patty is invariably irregular. in-shape and is undesirable because the most acceptable hamburgers are made by placing the cookedmeat patty between the halves v of a baked breadbun and the irregular shape of the meat patty is unsatisfactory. This is particularly so where hamburgers are sold in quickserviceeating places and in commercial establish- 2 conditions particularly applicable to-comrnercia establishments where the customer expects quicl service and a-first quality hamburger and when the hamburgers..-are prepared immediately 01 order. My invention aims to provide a methor whereby aminimum of training-or experience i required to quickly produce hamburgers having the desired uniformity-in appearance; shape, anr quality. Furthermore, in the practice of my in vention, a higher degree of quality is obtained in that the meat juicesand flavor-are better retained. Another advantage is a materialsaving in time and consequently in cost of preparing hamburgers. Also, the more uniform and satisfactory hamburgers are a definite trade asset to 2 business of this kind.

Other objects and attendant-advantages wilI .be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference ments which specialize in preparing hamburgers' 'The irregular shape gives to the hamburger a deceptive appearance or one of insuificient meat content; and this combined with other undesiracustomers.

Another common method is to start with a ball ofground meat, thatis, a"quantity ofthe desired 7 approximate size/placing it on a heated surbles"abovementioned, tendto make unsatisfied face for cooking, flattening and forming the meat by hand operation'of a spatula; and turning it over with the spatula. This'method involves the same objections" as abovementioned except that the irregularity-in; shape and the time elements to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,'in which,

Figure 1- is-a perspective view of a hand mold lties typical of what is made by prior methods under commerc'ialbonditions such as above described;

are more variable depending on the skill of the opera'tor; A'trainedandskilled operator exercis-.

ing special care can produce fairly acceptable and uniform results, but this involves the skill of a higher paid and. experienced person; con "sequent-1y it is difficult to maintain uniform re- F salts in commercial establishments;particularly' in quick-lunch placesg due to 'the high labor turn- -c-ver and thediiiicultiesintraining,' or attempting to train, 1mskilled -W0rke1's-. This is a major problemin this trade because the appearance of ahamburger aswellas the quality of itsconten' is is of real importance and'a well earned reputafitioir'for excellence of product can be quickly imired-by carelessnessor=ineXperience in preparing the hamburgers.

The present invention contemplates an im-' proved method of making hamburgers under Figure 6 is a view of a cooked meat patty made in accordance with my invention; and

Figure '7 is aperspective view of the last menti'oned meat patty between the halves ofa bread bu'n mak'ing'up what is known as a hamburger on bun, or as most commonly termed a hamburger.

In the illustrative case herein described, I have provided a mold designated generally by I I made of metal and having a cavity [2 of predetermined size and shape. Preferably a handle I3 is attached to the top of the mold with the handgrasp portion-spaceddirectly above and parallel with the face of the mold. The mold has a bottom edge portion l4 preferably arranged in a circle to-provide the outer wall of the cavity and define the marginal shape of the patty form. The cavity is relatively shallow and preferably of greater depth at the central portion as at IS with a wall is gradually inclining from the cen-: tral portion to the peripheral wall of the edge portion I4. The cavity is thus shaped for the purpose of aiding in spreading the ground meat from the ball form if) shown in Figure 2 to the fiat form shown in Figure 3 when downward pressure is applied by hand. The cavity is'further shaped to provide capacity for a meat ball or piece of 'givefqjfir approximate content such, for example as from 2 to 3 ounces. It is not essential that the ground meat be pre-shaped or compacted as shown in a ball H), but it should be measured or sized to the desired approximate content. The mold is shaped to spread the meat to a given shape and thickness with a full body throughout. This uniform result is attained preferably by giving greater thickness to the central portion and gradually tapering the marginal portion, substantially as shown in the drawing. This forming operation of the mold also performs the-function of spreading the meat on the heated cooking surface. In actual practice this surface is preferably maintained at about 350 F. and it is not greased. As a consequence of the described downward pressure of the mold and the consequent pressure of the meat patty against the heated surface, the under face of the meat patty will be quickly seared, thus sealing the meat against loss of meat juices and retaining the meat flavor; When the meat patty has been thus formed the handle is turned rotatively about the center. axis of the mold to loosen the mold from the meat body. Along with this turning movement the mold is lifted from the meat form. The operation of the mold by downward pressure, turning, and lifting, may be quickly performedin a substantially continuous movement. More particularly, the downward pressure of the mold quickly spreads the ground" meat ina full body throughout the full areaofthemold against ther enhanced by the greater thickness of the meat body in the central area because when biting into thehamburger one gets the impression of a thick meat body. My invention, however,

may be practiced beneficially by a substantially I uniform depth in the mold cavity, but preferably with a somewhat greater depth than the edge 1 portion shown in the drawing. However, with the embodiment shown in the drawing a given or in from 2 to 3 minutes according to the method being used. This time factor is highly desirable, particularly because the saving of time is coupled with the production by unskilled help of hamburgers and the like having the described desirable qualities. Thus, with the practice of my invention and using a minimum quantity, of meat, the most is obtained in the way of advantages and quality of the resultant product.

I claim:

Means for preparing and cooking ground meat patties for use in hamburgers comprising a mold having on its under side a shallow cavity of predetermined shape including at its marginal edge portion an upright form-defining wall, said cavity being of maximum depth at its center portion with gradually diminishing depth toward said form-definingwall, said cavity having a contents capacity of predetermined relation to a I ground meat ball of given content and a handle on the side of the mold opposite from said cavity connected only to said mold and manually operable for pressing downon such meat ball which hasbeen placed on a heated cooking surface,

' and by such pressure causing the bottom surface the heated grill surface. ffIhe meat'patty thus;

formed and pressed against ztheheated grill surface quickly sticks to such' surface inza sealing action. This sticking and sealing effect is the result of the combined pressureand heat. In,

consequence of this intimate contact-with the.

grill surface substantially throughout the full area of the mold the meat patty, is prevented from shrinking and distorting and the sealing of the meat at this surface serves to retain the 1 juices of the meat body. In viewof the uniform distribution of the meat and the sealing action it will be cooked to thedesired degree throughout more; quickly than with prior methods using a pre-formed' meat body or an irregular meat body. A1so,t h e meat body of greater thickness in the central area due to the greater depth of I against shrinkage during the cooking. A spatu 6?) la or any suitable fiat implement may be slidun the mold 'aids'in maintaining thedesired form der the meat patty for lifting, inverting, and placing it top side down on the heated surface for quick cooking of this side.

When the finished meat patty is placed'in a bun as shownin Figure 7 the'meat will appear of substantially uniform thickness entirely around the bun, giving visual appearance of its quantity and thereby contributing to better quality in a commodity of this kind. Also the full and uniform distribution of the meat combined with the juicesaving, makes for a more desirable and appetizing product. This result is fur- ;Number Name Date I 508,759 Reubold Nov. 14, 1893 1,074,647 Schmid Oct. 7, 1913 1,624,214 Cannon Apr. 12, 1927 1,989,287 Parr Jan. 29, 1935 2,161,089 Reinwald June 6, 1939 2,230,062 I Jordan .Jan. 28, 1941 7 2,241,317 Pringle May 6, 1941. 2,423,963 Coffman July 15, 1947 2,423,964 Coffman July 15, 1947 of thecavity to spread the meat ball to the full capacity of the cavity thereby forming a meat patty the marginahedge of which is confined and shaped by said uprighte'dge wall-of the mold and said downward pressure serving to uniformly press the meat patty against the heated surface and to promote searing of the under side of the meat patty and retaining the form thereof defined by said cavity, said handle being operable in a turning 'movement'to move the mold with relation to themeatpatty about its center axis and further'operable to lift the mold from 1 the meat patty AUGUSTUS H. BELT.

ItEF ERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

